This page was last edited on 25 January 2023, at 06:49. 1st Class Jonathan Hill rallied his 3rd Platoon troops in a counterattack, despite his multiple shrapnel wounds. Not exactly, but in researching The Outpost's historical accuracy, we learned that a similar incident happened the year prior, in 2008, involving more than just one dog. Area of Operations. The military had planned to relocate the outpost in August 2009, but the resources needed for such a move were tied up elsewhere. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The soldiers heard over the radio, "Enemy in the wire The enemy is inside the camp." Thomas Rasmussen fought back and was knocked off his feet by a rocket-propelled grenade. Yllescas's charismatic relations with the Shura had supported the transition from 1-91 Cavalry to 6th Squadron, and the Shura's influence and collaboration with ISAF forces declined from this point. Nearly 20 Air Force and Army aircraft flew close-air support missions throughout the day, helping to kill about 150 insurgents. Unlike the movie, The Outpost true story reveals that Keating was not alone in the truck. What if there was a country in place of the Bay of Biscay? The first of these would be "Operation Mountain II", an effort to extend a series of observation posts west to control the villages between COP Keating and the Afghan village of Saret Koheh. So if you see the film when it comes out over the Fourth of July weekend, know that you are not just watching a war movie. On his way, he stopped to offer first aid to wounded troops. Shane Courville; Cordova; George Arvidson as Cordova. It occurred on October 3, 2009, when a force of 400 Taliban assaulted the American Combat Outpost ("COP") Keating near the town of Kamdesh in Nuristan Province in eastern Afghanistan. Staff Sergeant William "Ryan" Fritsche was killed by rifle fire. Unconfirmed footage reportedly shows a short segment from a November 2008 battle at Combat Outpost (COP) Keating, in which ISAF troops attempt to defend the stupidly-placed position from an enemy that holds the high ground on all sides. During the day-long battle at Combat Outpost Keating last Oct. 3, the base was temporarily overrun by an estimated 300 Taliban fighters. The Soviets had to contend with a rebel group known as the Dawlet of eastern Nuristan. The other two mountains that surrounded the actual outpost were inserted with CGI. Once we got overhead the target, the biggest thing that struck me was how much of Keating was on fire. I have my own war stories from that day, but watching one of my best friends relive his on set was the closest I could come to fully understanding his heartache and pain. This letter was written in Pashto and signed "Mujahideen". The camp was originally constructed to be a PRT (i.e., Provincial Reconstruction Team), called PRT Kamdesh, but due to extremely high levels of fighting in the area it remained a fire base instead of a PRT. I only heard of it being a thing last year, never actually looked up when it actually happened. Lardner, Richard (Associated Press), "Command Failures". [15], The Allies planned to close COP Keating by August 2009, but the move was delayed because of other military operations in a nearby district. 1.33 million dollars was budgeted for these projects. At one point, the insurgents even controlled the ammunition supply point. Fallen Heroes 3-61 Cavalry, 4th BCT, 4th ID. A bus carrying employees of an Afghan television station was bombed in Kabul on May 30. are assisting Somali soldiers fighting Al Shabab, and by a health care system that utterly failed him, The case has irritated U.S. relations with a crucial military ally. Among these U.S. troops were men of great mettle. It occurred on October 3, 2009, when a force of 400 Taliban assaulted the American Combat Outpost ("COP") Keating near the town of Kamdesh in Nuristan Province in eastern Afghanistan. The idea was to stop the insurgents' supply lines coming in from Pakistan. Rob Yllescas of Nebraska, in "The Outpost," which tells the story of real-life combat events from the War in Afghanistan. The camp was constructed by 3-71 Cavalry, 10th Mountain Division (Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition) in the summer of 2006 and was manned by their ABLE Troop element until June 2007. "Needed force protection improvements were not made because of the imminent closure of the outpost. In 2018, I flew on my own dime to Sofia, Bulgaria, to witness the making of the film based on Jake Tappers book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor. Chris Cordova, an old friend and another veteran of the battle, came with me. Members of 10th Mountain Division's 1-32 Infantry Regiment were air lifted to the nearest helicopter landing zone on OP Fritsche and arrived at approximately 2:00pm, as recalled by a soldier on scene. Located near the border with Pakistan in the Afghan province of Nuristan, COP Keating was the scene of a coordinated attack by as many as 300 Taliban fighters who stormed the exposed base. [7][8] The former of which is based on the book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor by journalist Jake Tapper. Why would the U.S. military put an outpost at the base of three Afghan mountains that were teeming with Taliban fighters who were eager to kill U.S. soldiers? He worked throughout the battle, calling in strikes on enemy positions, even amidst a winter storm that blew in right at the height of the battle. The movie was filmed in 2018 on a set created at the base of a mountain in Bulgaria, not far from the city of Sofia. The battle is also the main focal point of the 2020 film The Outpost, which was in-turn based on the book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor by Jake Tapper. This will happen to you." [7]:803,945,11620, While attempting the pickup, a Chinook transport helicopter crashed in the darkness at 10:09 PM when the rear rotor hit a tree, and the helicopter slid down the slope and over a cliff, exploding in flames and killing all the crew and passengers. Scott Eastwood, right, in a scene from The Outpost. The film tells the story of the 2009 Battle of Kamdesh in Afghanistan. Surprised they didn't frag him. "whatever you think of their ideology, these are fierce and smart fighters. Set up new plants in Mirdesh and Gawardesh. Captain Broward is a fictional character likely based on Captain Melvin Porter, the officer who commanded COP Keating before it was attacked and was reprimanded for its lack of preparedness. For his gallantry, he was awarded the Silver Star Medal *, the U.S. Army's third highest award for valor. Additionally, 20 Afghan troops, two Latvian soldiers and a dozen Afghan security guards were at Keating. [1] Plans were drawn up in the summer of 2006 by the US Army's 10th Mountain Division as part of Operation Mountain Lion. ", was Keating's assessment. Matthew McMurtrey a cyber systems operator was attached to the 61st Cav and woke at6 a.m. that day to the walls of his bunk shaking, alerting him to the attack. After assisting with securing the OP from potential follow on attacks, members of the Quick Reaction Force descended from the mountain's peak to COP Keating on foot. Ty M. Carter pauses during a patrol outside Combat Outpost Keating, Afghanistan, where he was deployed with the 61st Cavalry Regiment in 2009. There was an element of ABLE Troop 3-71 CAV 2nd Platoon still left on the PZ after the crash that worked relentlessly to recover the bodies of their 10 comrades and destroy sensitive equipment in the wreckage. [32] Staff Sgt. -The Outpost book. JT: First Lieutenant Ben Keating, who is the namesake of the camp, he was, he had Pressfield's book with him, and he was reading it, and it was a lesson to him. Like in the film, Sgt. Combat Outpost Keating was a small American military outpost in Nurestan Province, in Afghanistan. prosthetic makeup effects administrator: Millennium FX. They made sustained attacks over a two-day period, drawing American support forces and widespread air forces into the battle. On Oct. 3, while Cordova was in the aid station keeping Mace alive, I was fighting to get back with a company of reinforcements. However that road itself was pretty poor in of itself. Air Force Staff Sgt. Urdu and Pashtun HIG warriors brought arms and ammunition from Pakistan. Email us at atwar@nytimes.com. At such time the platoon cleared the remaining areas of the outpost which members of 3-61 had not yet retaken. Cordovas care raised the morale of every soldier in the aid station, and word quickly spread across the outpost, the battle narrative stated. In 2006, HIG was actively resisting the Afghan government. You must log in or register to reply here. It looked just like our outpost on the day of the battle. These resources were limited by the fact that only 5,000 American troops were available to occupy a rugged area the size of Virginia that had little infrastructure. When the battle was over, 16 tons of bombs had been dropped. The movie is based on the 2012 nonfiction book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor by CNN's Jake Tapper. He jumped up undeterred and ran through heavy fire to get more ammunition. The outpost was manned by 54 American personnel from B Troop, 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, who faced greater than seven-to-one odds in the battle. Not an Ordinary Engagement As I neared the camp that evening, Cordovas voice crackled through my radio and asked for more blood donors. -CBS Sunday Morning. The punishments reflect a recent trend in Afghanistan to hold military commanders accountable for battlefield failures. He later set up the tactical satellite radio to coordinate air support and medevac. "We're surrounded, and we're sitting in a bowl," Porter said on "Good Morning America" today. As a result of the battle, COP Keating was partially overrun and nearly destroyed. As seen in the movie, the road in Kamdesh collapsed underneath the truck, throwing Keating from the vehicle as it rolled over a cliff, sending both himself and the truck down toward the Landay-Sin River. The logistical location of the outpost, which was located deep in a valley surrounded by three steep mountains, put the soldiers at an enormous disadvantage. These AAF were more professional and probably represented groups from areas outside of Nuristan. [39] The Netflix documentary series, Medal of Honor, includes an episode detailing the actions of Clinton Romesha and Ty Carter.[40]. "Reviewing and examining and improving are part of our process and when we do it from within, it is embraced," said the officer who asked not to be identified. Wed love your feedback on this newsletter. Please email thoughts and suggestions to atwar@nytimes.com. New roads would be the final stage, built and maintained by local contractors. [9] The Americans "declared the outpost closed and departedso quickly that they did not carry out all of their stored ammunition. U.S. soldiers reported that none of the Afghan soldiers held their ground. In 2009, Combat Outpost Keating was positioned perilously close to Taliban forces, in the sandy hills of Afghanistan, and vulnerable to attack. [2] Combat Outpost Keating is best known as the setting of the Battle of Kamdesh which occurred on October 3rd, 2009. Died of his wounds after his leg was hit by a single gunshot wound. That doesnt mean anything should be taken from the guys on the ground. The movie details Keating's November 2006 death, which occurred when his truck fell from a clifftop road during a convoy run. [23], Once inside, the attackers set fire to the base, burning down most of the barracks. The movie does take liberty with the way it portrays previous commanders of the outpost, 1st Lt. Ben Keating and Capt. The note was signed "Mullah Omar". It seemed like the entire COP was burning [70 percent did].. . [5] Within two minutes of the beginning of the attack, American forces suffered their first casualty. Understandable discrepancies emerge when a book that covers four years at a remote mountain outpost is compressed into a two-hour production, but the film unquestionably captures the essence of the soldiers sacrifices, as well as the love we feel and the sorrow we share. [7]:1238,1368,18191,407. ' The Outpost ' is a 2020 war drama which tells the story of 53 US soldiers who battled some 400 enemy insurgents in north-eastern Afghanistan, during Operation Enduring Freedom. Served with United States Army since 2008. The rock could not be demolished without raining fragments into the town of Urmul across the Landay-Sin river. Follow-up attacks attempted by Taliban forces were subsequently thwarted by U.S. [17], 27 soldiers were awarded the Purple Heart for wounds sustained in combat. They expanded the perimeter all the way back to the entry control point and to the buildings on the western edge of the outpost, which became their final fighting position. I witnessed the making of The Outpost, a film about the day my unit fought off 300 Taliban fighters who tried to overrun our camp in Afghanistan. Anyone can read what you share. Keating died while serving at the base in 2006 and it was . [35] Capt. It involved a small force of 54 U.S. soldiers (Bravo Troop 3-61), in addition to their Afghan and Latvian allies, at the remote Combat Outpost Keating in northeastern Afghanistan near the town of Kamdesh. He died when his truck fell off the cliff, and the outpost was later named Combat Outpost Keating in his honor. A recreated Red Platoon barracks bunk bed. A common misconception is that the Taliban are primitive fighters who lack the necessary skills to be effective in battle. [7]:1238,1368,18191,407, Despite recommendations not to drive the large supply vehicle, First Lieutenant Ben Keating took the wheel while returning an armored supply truck to the Naray FOB. prosthetic makeup effects technician: Millennium FX. While exploring the movie's historical accuracy, we confirmed that during the real-life Battle of Kamdesh, Taliban fighters got inside Outpost Keating. Another example of his leadership failure was his failure to tell his troops why he was banning hot meals at the base. The outpost's depot was promptly looted by the insurgents and bombed by American planes in an effort to destroy the lethal munitions left behind."[10]. The first didn't take place at the camp. Martina Skokova. One of the casualties was a bright young specialist named Stephan Mace, whom Cordova kept alive for nine hours by transfusing fresh blood from other soldiers, himself included. Read more from At War here or follow us on Twitter. Here's what else we covered in this week's newsletter. Hutto had worked for years on COIN campaigns in Central America. (U.S. Army) The Counterattack: "We're Taking this Bitch Back" With more and more Taliban soldiers now inside the base, an important decision was needed. Lieutenant Keating, first commander of the Kamdesh PRT, was determined to make COIN a success in the region. Given that her reticence led to her subordinates acting on their own initiative resulting in her plan failing, not really. Anthony Parker. [9], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}352523N 711944E / 35.4231N 71.3289E / 35.4231; 71.3289 (Location of Combat Outpost Keating). The 48N6 missiles of the S-400 (and why they were designed by flat-earthers), WI: Instead of a NATO pull-out, the bases/forces in Afghanistan are handed over to the UN Peacekeeping. He became the fourth surviving soldier from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts to be awarded the Medal of Honor due to courageous actions during the battle. Sgt. In the movie, a dog that some of the soldiers at the outpost are taking care of bites a visiting Kamdesh village elder. I am almost 100% certain it was deliberately placed in a shitty location to goad locals into attacking the base, allowing the US to attack the enemy directly. "It is one of the most well-planned and carefully choreographed attacks in the history of the Afghan war," Tapper told NPR. While en route the Platoon encountered a planned ambush on the side of the mountain resulting in three confirmed enemy KIA at approximately 6:00pm. As the sun rose on Oct. 3, 2009, about 300 Taliban launched a surprise attack on COP Keating. Several of the surviving soldiers were technical advisors on the film, including Medal of Honor recipient Ty Carter, who is played by Caleb Landry Jones. However, Army 1st Lt. Benjamin Keating's death actually happened three years earlier, in 2006, not 2009. Commanders of Camp Keating are disciplined for not taking proper measures that led to deaths of eight U.S. soldiers and the wounding of 22 others in a Taliban attack. They performed heroically and bravely.. "It doesn't really take a lot to sort of trigger the emotions again," said Beth Keating. Chris Cordova with actors who portrayed him and medics under his command. While this is indeed alarmingly frequent, the movie makes it seem like the attacks are happening daily. And appearing Holdo's subordinates were well aware of the plain. "The little bastards keep shooting at us every day. [36], On 11 February 2013, President Barack Obama presented the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha, a survivor of the battle. Their checkpoints[11] and "taxes" was used to finance AAF operations. Jake Tapper, author of the bookThe Outpost, wondered the same thing when he embarked on his research. Everything was so realistic that had the cameras not been there I would have thought my mind was playing tricks on me. [4] She noted two claims the military put forward in its report: first, the resources to relocate the base had not been available because the brigade was concentrating on guarding a village that Hamid Karzai, president of Afghanistan, considered strategically important. [26] The attack accelerated those plans, with the troops' departure taking place so quickly after the battle that some munitions were abandoned. Many of the Afghan National Army members there in support of the coalition troops fled. It's at least the third time officers were disciplined after soldiers' deaths. Something had to be done to bring Nuristan on to the American side. This was a re-deployment from the Cowkay and Korangal Valleys to Kamdesh. He died when his. That was our troopers advantage up there. It was nicknamed "Heart Attack Ridge" due to its steep slope and obstacles hazardous to low-flying aircraft. After an attack on October 3, 2009, where the base was nearly overrun, and 8 Americans and 4 Afghan defenders were killed, the base was abandoned and demolished by a bombing from an American B-1 bomber on the night of October 6th, 2009. In response to this, the local Afghan officials sent more government troops into the area. Roller attended his next meeting with village leaders dressed in a T-shirt and shorts. The camp burned into the night and some of the building walls fell to the ground. A base at the bottom of a valley surrounded by hills which are. | Trademarks and service marks of VFW. [31] 3 soldiers were awarded the Bronze Star Medal, and 18 others the Bronze Star Medal with "V" device for valor. After dispensing with the enemy, QRF continued their descent and entered the outpost at approximately 7:00pm. The letter stated: "At the present time for those who work and obey the American devils by taking contracts for building schools, road, and power plants: also those who work as police, district administrators, and commanders as well as sold-out mullahs who deny Allah's orders and holy war and deny the holy Quran: We are telling you that we are continuing our holy war in Allah's will Soon we will start our operations." The bounty was a thing back then? During the Soviet occupation, HIG received more support from the CIA than any other Mujahideen resistance group. From left, Martin Malchev as Specialist Cody Floyd; Jack Kalian as Staff Sgt. On that day, then-1LT Bundermann's leadership and heroic actions in orchestrating the defense of Combat Outpost Keating, helped prevent it from falling into the hands of a Taliban force of more than 400 fighters. Combat Outpost Keating in Nuristan, Afghanistan, as recreated on the set. During the highly risky convoy, the road collapsed under the weight of Keating's vehicle. [10], OP Fritsche was established to provide overwatch for COP Keating and was manned by a mix of US and Afghan national forces. Killed by a single gunshot wound to the face while in the base mortar pit. Porter appeared to not want to actually lead his company nor was appearing to be up for another deployment. Michael Polidor and Capt. Died of his wounds after his legs were hit by RPG shrapnel. The pilots landed at a nearby base and then limped the aircraft to an airfield for repairs, separating me and a small contingent of soldiers from the outpost. The attacks size and urgency may have had something to do with the US Soldier Bounty issued by the Ruskies. He died in a vehicular accident in 2006, and Combat Outpost Keating, the site of the 2009 Battle of Kamdesh, was named in his honor. 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